Biography
Lêda Watson graduated in Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro (National School of Fine Arts), in Paris (École Nationale de Beaux-Arts, Sorbonne) and in Brasília (University of Brasília - UnB), and specialized in metal engraving in Rio de Janeiro School of Art of Brazil - Orlando Dasilva and in the Friedlaender Atelier, French. Graduated in 1969 in French Language and Literature by the University of Nancy.
Having resided in France for four years, she received great receptivity from the French art publishers, selling numerous closed editions of engravings, represented today in the collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris. She was invited by the Societé des Femmes Bibliophiles to illustrate a book by Jules Laforgue, whose earlier edition had been illustrated by Dalí. Returning to Brazil, Leda set up her atelier in Brasilia and continued to maintain contact with her French publishers. As an art educator, she taught courses and gave lectures on metal engraving at the Catholic University of Lima (Peru), the University of Brasília (Brazil), the National School of Arts (Nicaragua), the National-Heredia University (Costa Rica), the Central University of Venezuela (Caracas) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Panama).
Encouraged to continue teaching after an extension course taught at UnB, she created her School of Engraving in her own studio, where she worked on the formation of new engravers for more than 12 years, between 1975 and 1987. She founded, then, the 1st Nucleus of Engravers of Brasilia. In 1985 she created the 1st Museum of Art of Brasília, and in 1989, the Society of Engravers, gathering mostly professional engravers of the Federal District. For more than 6 years, she was the museum coordinator of the Culture Department of the Government of the Federal District, and was also appointed to coordinate the II Plastic Arts Prize of Brasília / XII National Salon of Plastic Arts of the Ministry of Culture in 1991. That same year, she curated the Brazilian participation in the X International Printing Biennial of Valparaiso, Chile. In 1995, she retired as a teacher, dedicating herself entirely to her art. As an engraving artist, Lêda has participated in group and solo exhibitions in Latin America, the United States, Canada, Europe and the Orient, since the 1970s. Since 2002, she has resumed her studies of engraving in her own studio, exposing periodically with her students.
Timeline
1950s
Lêda Campofiorito graduates from the Institute of Education of Rio de Janeiro, where she had studied since she was 12 years old and where she became a volleyball star.
Marries diplomat Sérgio Veiga Watson and moves to Bern, Switzerland, where her children Eduardo and Andrea are born.
After four years in Switzerland, settles in Bogota, Colombia, where her third child, Elena, is born.
In 1966, Lêda and her family return to Rio de Janeiro. Through Marina Colasanti, Lêda joins the Little Art School of Brazil, where she has Orlando Dasilva as her first master of metal engraving.
1960s
She studied drawing at the School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, where she met her dear friend, Marina Colasanti.
1970s
1971/1972, Paris – The family moves again, to a mission in France, at which time engraving has already been rooted into Lêda's soul. Paris represented an unparalleled opportunity for growth. "Friedlaender was the greatest engraver ever to live. Attending his atelier at Rue Saint Jacques was incredibly exciting, for it was a closed studio, frequented by few engravers".
In Friedlaender's studio discipline and care were severe. There was little walking around, much less talking. From our work tables, we went only to the acid room, or we might walk into the master's room, where he worked with Brigitte Coudrain, his assistant, using the very old French press and the oven where we inked the printing plates. Only in these moments did one approach the master (...). We learned only by observing the work of the master and his companions, and how we learned!”
1973, Paris – Lêda and her daughter, in front of the Galerie Bernier, specialized in art in paper, during individual exhibition. "I exhibited 25 prints, and the result of public and sales was quite satisfactory. It was a happy moment of professional accomplishment. ”
1974, Brasília – 1st individual exhibition after arriving from France. Múltipla Gallery, by Maria Ignez Barbosa.
1974, Rio de Janeiro – 2nd individual exhibition, at the Intercontinental Gallery. Depicted, Lêda talks to Marc Berkovitz, art critic, Carlos Magalhães, husband of Ana Maria Niemeyer (in the center), and Ítalo Camporiorito.
1974, São Paulo – 3rd individual exhibition at the Bonfiglioli Gallery. Lêda was honored by the presence of illustrious friends. Depicted, in lively conversation with Neide Bonfiglioli and with engraver Arthur Luiz Piza.
From left to right, conversation between visual artists: Leopoldo Raimo, Lêda Watson and Ítalo Cencini.
Lêda alternated between Master Friedlaender's studio and the studio at the École Nationale de Beaux Arts, which was prized for its relaxed atmosphere and for gathering artists from many different cultures . "Every day, there was a new trick to shorten the path to a more complex technique".
1980s
1985, Brasília – 1985, Brasília - Group exhibition at Lêda's atelier at W3, 715 South, where she held the I Gravuras no Varal.
From left to right: Athos Bulcão, Lulo Galina, then Secretary of Education and Culture Vera Pinheiro and artists Rubem Valentim and Betty Bettiol.
1981, Paraguai – "Lívio Abramo phoned me and said: 'I know your work, I like it and I admire it. I would like to invite you to an individual exhibition in Asunción, Paraguay. '. This was the beginning of a great friendship.”
1988, Canadá – Retrospective exhibition at the Robarts Library, in Ottawa, and individual exhibition in Toronto. Nancy Bayle, an art critic for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper (at the left in the photo), carefully and patiently visited the exhibit and published a highly favorable review of Lêda's work, who at the time had been invited by the Canadian government to exhibit her prints at every Canadian university for two years.
1990s
1989 a 1991, Canadá – Lêda participates in the Itinerant Exhibition at an official invitation from the Office of International Exhibitions of the Ministry of Communications of Canada.
1995, Nicaragua, Managua – Lêda teaches an engraving course at the Center for Brazilian Studies.
Junho de 1997, Brasília – Dreams I, Exhibition at the Referência Art Gallery.
1998, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Quirino Campofiorito Hall - Dreams II Exhibition at the Cultural Center Paschoal Carlos Magno.
2000s
Março/abril de 2008, Brasília – Wisdom Engraved Exhibition: a tribute to Lêda Watson. Rubens Valentin Gallery 508 south. Curated by Bené Fonteles.
7 de outubro de 2009, Brasília – Exhibition Crossed perspectives over nature (group exhibition). Cultural Foundation of DF, 508 south.
Abril de 2010, Brasília – Atelier Lêda Watson: New expressions around metal engraving. Daniel Briand (group exhibition).
6 de abril de 2011, Brasília – Semi-Circle group exhibition at the National Museum.
2011, Campinas (SP) –Lêda participates in the 5th National Engraving Biennial: Latin Eye (group exhibition).
2011, Brasília – Group exhibition I and the environment. Federal Senate. Curator: Fábio de Almeida Prado.
Outubro de 2011, Lyon, França – Exhibition Gravures contenporaines d'artistes français et bresiliens.
Novembro de 2011, Paris – Exhibition 15 ème Bienale Internationale de Paris. Pays Invité: Brésil.
2015 – Lêda participates in the book Incomplete journey: Brazilian art on paper. Project by Luiz Dolino.
Abril de 2015, Brasília – Lêda participates in Cycle of art. Retrospective. Brasília Shopping. Curator: Ralph Gehre.
2015, Brasília – Exhibition Paths of Printing: A journey through the universe of Lêda Watson. Referência Gallery.
10 de setembro de 2015, Brasília -
Exhibition The paper of the museum: six decades of art on paper. Museum of the Republic. Curatorship: Bené Fonteles (group exhibition).
Novembro, 2015 - Brasilia, 12 Ateliers. Project to rescue the city's artistic memory. Lêda created the project, coordinated its execution, curated the exhibition, along with Newton Scheufler, and exhibited his work at the show. Caixa Cultural Brasilia, Main Gallery - from November 25, 2015 to January 17, 2016.
17 de agosto de 2019, Brasília, Centro Cultural Paulo Otávio - Lêda Watson, 50 years of engóaging
2003, Brasília – Lêda participates in the editions of Open Atelier, an initiative of Omar Franco, which consisted of opening his atelier to more than 10 engravers in the city, to receive the public.
2004, Brasília – Lêda recovers more than 280 engravings to compose an exhibition in Nicaragua.
2004, Rio de Janeiro – Lêda recovers two sheets of copper, 94cm x 64cm each, and 3mm thick, worked in burin, at the invitation of the director of the National Press Museum. The plates contain maps of Rio de Janeiro, made by order of the Prince Regent D. João VI when arriving in Brazil, in 1808, produced by the Royal Press. Copies of the plates had never been made.
2007, Brasília - Construction and Deconstruction. CEF Cultural Center.
7 de março de 2012, Brasília – Participation in the new Referência Art Gallery (group exhibition).
Março de 2012, Brasília – Resistance Dialogues Exhibition. Museum of the Republic, HAB. Curator: Bené Fonteles (group exhibition).
24 de agosto de 2012, Brasília – Lêda participates in the III Young Brazilians of the World Drawing Contest as member of the jury. Itamaraty.
2013, Brasília – Lêda continues to teach engraving classes in her atelier at Lago Sul and to participate in exhibitions. Depicted, the engraver Joana Passos in Lêda's studio.
Maio de 2013, Brasília – Conversation with collectors in a fair-participation format. Referência Gallery.
Junho de 2013, Brasília – Lêda participates in the XXXV Riachuelo Hall as a member of the jury. Claudio Santoro National Theater, foyer of the Villa Lobos Hall.
Outubro de 2013, Brasília – Exhibition Your Museum: expoexperiment. Museum of the Republic (group exhibition).
Novembro de 2013, Ville de Sarcelles – Lêda participates in the Biennial Internationale de la Gravure.
5 de junho de 2014, Brasília – Lêda Watson and the Delirious Engravers. Savana Coffee House.
6 de dezembro de 2014, Brasília – Lêda organizes Engravings in the Clothes Line: engravers. Lêda Watson's residence and studio.
22 de abril de 2016, Brasília – Inauguration of the panel with reproduction of the engraving Dreams and fantasy. QL 8, Lago Sul, residence of Leda Watson.
14 de outubro de 2016 a 27 de abril de 2017, Brasília – Exhibition Retrospective. Chamber of Deputies, Office of the President.
Novembro de 2016, Brasília – Lêda participates in the I FAC RARO: Contemporary Art Fair. Casa Park (group exhibition).
8 de março de 2018, Brasília – Lêda participates in the group exhibition Artists in Caixa's Collection: 32 female artists.
